Cleaning apparatus with lubricator therefor



J. D. RULE- CLEANING APPARATUS WITH LUBRICA'IOR THEREFOR Filed Oct. 24, 1945 Sept. 8,1953

5 sheets -Shee t 1 p 8, 3 V J. D. RULE 2,651,311

CLEANING APPARATUS WITH LUBRICATOR THEREFOR Filed Oct. 24,1945 s SPeets-Sheet 2 F I 1 1/ N Y Patented Sept. 8, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Joseph D. Rule, Kewanee, Ill., assignor to Kewanee Industrial Washer Corp., Kewanee, IllL, a corporation of Illinois Application October 24, 1945, Serial No. 624,203

5 Claims. (01. 134-89) This invention relates to cleaning apparatus and more particularly to the type employing a tank to contain benzine, alcohol or the like for cleaning machine parts, small tools, and similar articles.

One object of the invention is to provide a new and improved cleaning apparatus with means for -re-circulating the cleaning fluid through the tank and for creating turbulence in the body of the fluid to assist in the removal of grease and dirt from the parts under treatment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new andimproved cleaning apparatus which includes a tank for a cleaning fluid and a reticulated support within the tank at a distance above the bottom thereof so as to provide a settling space below the support for solid matter loosened and removed from the articles under treatment by the action of the cleaning fluid.

It is also an object of the invention to 'provide an improved cleaning apparatus having a tank in which cleaning fluid is re-circul-ated and a reticulated support in the tank for articles to be cleaned, said support being readily removable from the tank either with or without such articles.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved cleaning apparatus including a tank for cleaning fluid, and re-circulating means comprising a housing outside the tank with an inlet to the housing from the tank below the liquid level therein and an outlet discharging into the tank above the normal "liquid level, together with a rotary impeller for circulating the liquid through the housing from theinlet to r.

the outlet. The invention also includes a horizontally elongated discharge nozzle leading from the housing and directing the cleaning fluid obliquely into the body of fluid in the tank and across a substantial portion of the width of the tank for agitating the fluid therein and facilitating the cleaning action.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide a cleaning apparatus including a tank another modification designed for use as a foottreating bath.

In the form shown in the drawings to illustrate the invention, the apparatus includes a tank l0 having a bottom wall II supported at a convenient height on legs l2. It is preferably rendered portable by means of caster wheels l4 so that it can be moved about readily in a garage or machine shop in which it isused. The tank normally contains cleaning fluid such as benzine or other material adapted for cleansing the particular parts or materials to be treated, and the normal level of the fluid in the tank will be maintained approximately as indicated at IS. A grill or reticulated support [8 is disposed in the tank at a considerable distance below the level l6 and at some distance above the bottom of the tank so that a space 20 is provided which serves as a settling chamber to receive solid matter loosened from the articles under treatment.

Intermediate the plane of the support I8 and the liquid level Hi, the tank is formed with an opening '22 which serves as the inlet to a housing 24 disposed outside the tank and forming a passageway which leads to an outlet or discharge nozzle 26 at a point in the wall of the tank above the liquid level l6. At the inlet and adjacent thereto the cross section of the housing 24 is substantially circular, as indicated in Fig. 2, and there is rotatably mounted therein an impeller 28 carried by a drive shaft 30 which is journalled in a bearing sleeve 32 extending outside the housing 24. At its outer end the shaft 30 carries a pulley 34 connected by a belt 36 to the drive pulley 38 of a motor 40. The motor is shown supported on a suitable bracket attached to the leg structure l2 at one end of the apparatus. It

will be noted that the impeller 28 is rotated in the proper direction for moving the cleaning fluid At the inlet of the housing 24 the passage 'formed therein is of cylindrical form, but at the outlet 26 it is substantially wider in horizontal direction and much narrower in vertical direction, and the intermediate portion of the passage varies gradually so as to merge smoothly with the inlet and outlet sections, as seen in Fig. 2. Preferably, the cross sectional area of the oblong discharge nozzle 26 is no greater than the area of the inlet at 22, and it may be somewhat less to insure some increase in velocity of the liquid upon its discharge from the outlet 28. As seen in Fig. 1, the terminal portion of the passage at the outlet 26 is directed obliquely downward toward the surface of the liquid at l6 so that the stream discharged from the outlet 26 will drive into the body of liquid in the tank lib-serving to agitate it to produce turbulence throughout the liquid body which will assist in loosening and removing dirt, grease, and other foreign matter from the parts under treatment.

Fig. 1 illustrates such parts as including engine pistons and connecting rods, a crank shaft and some spark plugs, and asshown, theseparts are contained within abasket 44 removably disposed in the tank In and provided with bails or handles it at opposite ends so that it can be readily lifted out of the tank or lowered into it for handling the articles as a group. For larger pieces or individual mechanisms, the basket 44 may be dispensed with and the parts to be cleaned may rest directly upon the grill or reticulated support l8. This support It may be upheld at a distance from the bottom wall ll of the tank by any suitable means, but as shown, it rests upon the rim of a pan or tray-4B which, in turn, rests upon the bottom of the tank and which is upwardly open to receive dirt and sludge which tends to settle and accumulate below the support It as a result of the cleaning operation. As shown, the support includes'positioning lugs 50 which engage the walls of the pan 48 to insure firm lodgment of the-support thereon. At each side, the pan may be provided with a bail or a handle 52 secured to the side wall of the pan at 53, 53 and extending upwardly near the top of the tank so that periodically the cleaning liquid may be drawn off by way of a drain cock 54 and the sludge pan 48 may be lifted out for convenient disposal of its contents. Atthe same time the residue of liquid remaining below the level of the drain cock 54 may be drawn ofi through a pet cook 56 in the bottom wall H of the tank.

Fig. 3 shows the impeller 2B mounted on one end of its drive shaft 30 and shows the bearing sleeve 32 for the shaft as provided with a mounting flange 6!! which is bolted againstthe outer end of a hollow cylindrical boss 62 formed on the wall of the housing 2E. To prevent leakage of the cleaning fluid along the shaft 30, the sleeve 32 is formed with journal bearings 64 and 66 at opposite ends of the sleeve and between these bearing portions the bore of the sleeve is enlarged at 68 and a grease cup 10 is fitted into the sleeve in communication with this enlarged bore 68. Lubricant is thus furnished not only to the bearing surfaces at 64 and 66, but the entire space in the bore 68 is filled with lubricant, preferably a grease of the consistency employed in water pumps and for like purposes. The presence of this body of grease effectively prevents the escape of the thinner cleaning fluid employed in the apparatus and at the same time keeps the drive shaft 30 efiiciently lubricated. It may be noted from Fig. 3 that the hub 12 of the impeller 28' is slightly larger in diameter than the extreme end of the bearing sleeve 32 adjacent the hub 12, so that if the hub is maintained in fairly close contact with the end of the sleeve, the entrance of liquid at this point is prevented. As shown, the sleeve is tapered at T4 to reduce its extreme end below the diameter of the hub 12.

Figure 4 illustrates an apparatus embodying this invention arranged for use as a dish washer. Preferably, it is mounted in a stationary position so that permanent plumbing connections can be arranged for it and, as shown, the cleaning or washing tank is positioned against a wall or back panel 82 through which a supply faucet =B4 for hot water extends over the tank. When the tank has been filled to the desired level indicated at 86, with hot water from the faucet 84, a quantity of strong soap or other cleaning reagent will be dissolved in the water and the heater shown as a gas burner 88 under the tank 80 will be lighted to maintain the cleaning bath at a high temperature. The motor 90 is then started to drive the impeller. 92 for maintaining a continuous circulation of the cleaning fluid through the tank and through the passageway 94 in the housing 96 which connects the outlet 98 from the tank with the inlet I00 discharging into the tank at, or slightly above, the liquid level 86 therein. This discharge inlet lflll is horizontally elongated and vertically contracted like the inlet 26 shown in Fig. 2, and the remainder of the housing and its passageway, as well as the impeller 92 therein, may be identical in form and construction with the corresponding parts of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. Preferably, a drain pipe I02 opens upwardly at the level 86 to serve as an overflow and to maintain this level.

The basket (04 containing the dishes or other articles to be washed is lowered into the tank to the position shown in Fig. 4, and is therein subjected to the cleaning action of the recirculating fiuid. In practice, this fluid is discharged obliquely downward at the inlet H18 into the body of fluid in the tank at a rate of about 400 gallons per minute, which produces turbulence throughout the body of fluid in the tank and violently agitates it. The velocity and force with which the liquid is thus moved through the tank causes it to exert a thorough scouring action on the dishes' so that they are readily cleansed. The basket I04 then is lifted out'by its handles [06 and placed in a drain tub I08 which preferably is about of the same horizontal cross section as the tank 80 but which may not be so deep. A constantly open drain outlet pipe H0 leads to a sewer connection. Above the drain tub 108 the panel 82 carries a hot and cold water mixing fixture H2 to which there is connected a flexible hose H4 with a spray head H6 for use in rinsing the dishes, preferably with water hot enough to evaporate readily and leave them satifactorily' dry.

Figure 5 illustrates another adaptation of my apparatus for handling fluid in connection with a treatment which is not primarily a cleaning process. It is common practice among athletes and athletic teams, particularly among football players, to soak the feet periodically in a special bath which has the property of hardening the skin and thickening it, particularly on the soles of the feet, producing a desired tough, callouslike formation. The ingredients employed in this bath are more or less suspended in the liquid, usually water, or are in the form of an emulsion, and. the. active ingredients readily separate from any sharp edges.

5 the liquid if it is allowed to standytherefore, it is necessary to keep the bath agitated continuoulsy during its use for treating the feet. For this purpose, my apparatus is admirably adapted.

An elongated tank I20 is made with side walls not over 16 inches in height so that the players sitting along the side of the tank can conveniently rest their feet in it. As shown, the upper margin of the tank wall is bent inwardly and downwardly, as seen at I22, to avoid exposing The treating fiuid indicated at I 24 is placed in the tank to the level shown at I 26 and the fluid is continuously re-circulated through a passage formed in the housing I28 which connects an outlet I30 in the lower portion of the tank with an inlet I32 above or adjacent the liquid level I26. The construction of the housing I28 and its passageway is identical with that of the housing 24 shown in Fig. 1 and the housing 96 shown in Fig. 4. The motor I34 is connected by a belt I36 with an impeller I38 in the housing I28 adjacent the outlet I30, and the rapid rotation of this impeller serves to elevate the liquid through the passageway in the housing I28 and to discharge it forcibly into the tank and into the body of liquid I 24 therein. The inlet I32 is horizontally elongated like the inlet I26 shown in Fig. 2, thus distributing the discharge across the width of the tank. The high velocity at which the liquid is fed through the inlet insures agitation of the entire body of liquid in the tank and keeps the active ingredients properly distributed or emulsified throughout the bath.

The motor I34 is shown mounted on a supporting plate I40 which extends inwardly over the end of the tank to which the housing I28 is connected and which serves as a guard to prevent anyone placing himself too near the discharge inlet I32. A curved guard plate or hood I42 extends over the motor I34 and includes a removable part I44 disposed adjacent the belt I36 and pulleys which it connects.

While there is shown and described herein certain structure embodying the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby and may assume various other forms and includes all modifications, variations, and equivalents coming within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A cleaning apparatus comprising a tank, a reticulated support for articles to be cleaned removably disposed in said tank, said tank being adapted to contain a supply of cleaning fluid extending from the bottom of the tank to a substantial distance above the said support, said tank having an outlet for the fluid in a vertical wall and below the normal fluid level and an inlet for said fluid in the same wall at a higher level than said outlet, a housing mounted exteriorly of the tank and providing a smoothly curved passageway connecting the inlet with the outlet, an impeller mounted for rotation in said passageway adjacent said outlet, and means for rotating said impeller in a direction and at a speed to draw fluid through said outlet, to elevate said fiuid through the passageway, and to discharge it forcibly through said inlet into the tank, together with a drain tank mounted'adjacent the first-mentioned tank and dimensioned to receive the reticulated support, a supply conduit for rinsing fluid adjacent the drain tank with a spray device connected thereto, a con- 'stantly open outlet leading from said tank, and

a heater disposed under the first-mentioned tank for maintaining the cleaning fluid therein at high substantially in the same plane, the intake opening being of circular cross section, and a rotary impeller mounted in said opening, the diameter of the impeller being approximately equal to the diameter of said opening, the delivery opening being horizontally elongated and vertically narrowed as compared with the intake opening, and the intermediate portion of the passage being smoothly curved and substantially arcuate and being formed to merge smoothly with said intake and delivery portions.

3. In apparatus of the class described, a tank, a housing mounted on said tank and providing a passage having an intake opening of circular cross section at one end and a delivery opening at the other end, a rotary impeller mounted in said intake opening, said housing having an opening in its wall opposite said intake opening and co-axial therewith, a bearing sleeve extending through said last mentioned opening in fluidtight relation to said wall, and a drive shaft for the impeller journalled in said sleeve, the sleeve having bearing portions adjacent its end in which the shaft is rotatably fitted and having an enlarged bore intermediate said bearing portions, together with means for filling said bore with lubricant, a pulley on said drive shaft and a belt for driving said pulley, the delivery end of said housing being remote from said drive shaft and serving as a brace to resist pull exerted thereon by said belt.

4. In apparatus of the class described, a housing providing a passage having an intake opening of circular cross section at one end and a delivery opening at the other end, a rotary impeller mounted in said intake opening, said housing having an opening in its wall opposite said intake opening and co-axial therewith, a bearing sleeve extending through said last mentioned opening in fluid-tight relation to said wall, and a drive shaft for the impeller journaled in said sleeve, said impeller having a hub on the shaft fitting snugly against the end of said bearing sleeve, the end portion of said sleeve adjacent the impeller hub being at least as small as the hub so that its end surface is shielded by the hub from the force of liquid fed into the passage by the impeller, and driving means for said shaft exerting a lateral pull thereon, said housing extending in a direction opposite said pull and bracing said shaft against said pull.

5. In apparatus of the class described, a tank, a housing mounted on said tank and providing a passage having an intake opening of circular cross section at one end and a delivery opening at the other end, an impeller mounted in said intake opening, means for rotating the impeller at high speed in a direction to draw liquid through said intake opening, said means including a drive shaft on which the impeller is secured, said housing having an opening in its wall with an outwardly facing shoulder around the said opening, a bearing sleeve for the shaft extending through said opening and having a flange seated against said shoulder, and means on the outer end of the shaft providing a shoulder which is seated against the outer end of the sleeve by the axial thrust of h impell r. hus urging said flange against the shoulder of the h usi i liqu d s a relation ther t driving means for said shaft exerting a lateral pull thereon, said housing being arcuate and extending in a direction away from said pull, and means for attaching the remote end of said housing to said tank and resisting said pull.

6. In apparatus of the class described, a housing providing a smoothly and continuously curved C-shaped passage having an intake opening at its lower end and a delivery opening at its upper end, said opening being located substantially in the same vertical plane, the intake opening being of circular cross section, the delivery opening being horizontally elongated and vertically narrowed as compared with said intake opening and the intermediate portion of the passage being formed to merge smoothly with said intake and delivery portions, and a rotary impeller mounted in the intake opening co-axial- -ly therewith, said impeller being of approximately-thesaine diameter as said intake open,- ing, togetherwith means for rotating the imfpeiler in a direction and ataspeed to draw liq uid through said intake opening, to elevate said liquid through the ssage. andtodischarge it .forcibly fronr-the delivery opening, the rotating means for said impeller exerting a-pull'on said housing tending to rotate said housing about its intak op ni d a comm n supp rt for said housing and ast-named means- JOSEPH D.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Dilg Jan. 24, 1911 Cluley July 15, 1919 Upton et al Sept. 12, 1922 Allen et al. Oct. 21, 1924 Cavanaugh et al. Mar. 1'7, 1925 Herbert Apr. 7, 1925 Rosenberg July 14, 1925 Freitag Sept. 15, 1925 Bell et a1. Jan. 15, 1929 Watson Dec. 17, 1929 Elkington Sept. 20, 1932 Shafiner Apr. 11, 1933 Hinson Dec. 5, 1933 Piquerez Dec, 6, 1938 Adams June 23, 1942 Wulstein May 2, 1944 Lansing Oct. 10, 1944 Y FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Switzerland 1931 

